Even Closer
by Geri Touer
Summary: AU. Police Officer Callie Torres lived for the last three years always on the watch for the return of a certain blonde lady, a suspected criminal whose name she helped clear years ago. What happens when she comes back to Seattle under unfavorable circumstances?
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, this is the first story I published here on FFN . I've been lurking for so long and I loved Calzona so much, I decided to finally share this story with you. I'm asking you to suspend your disbelief a little bit more with this story. I am not from the US and have no idea how the police system works over there. I will do some research but they will mostly be confined to wikipedia. I apologize for some mistakes and inconsistencies. _

_This story is inspired by the Taiwanese film So Close. It is entitled Even Closer as I would like to imagine it as a sequel to that awesome movie, only with different characters and a different setting. Also, over time, it may bear similarities to the Pepa/Silvia fanfiction Return to Sender. I authored that fic, with all intention of finishing, though I never got to because LJ purged my account for reasons. I don't have a back up of those files but I liked my plot so much that I might employ some used and unused elements from it, though I will try to avoid it as much as I could. _

_Finally, I may not be able to upload regularly and this fic might take years to finish, as I am a law student. I will appreciate any comments and criticisms. Happy reading :)_

* * *

A tall brunette stood in front of the glass walls of the office, surveying the view below. The Seattle Police Department was erected in front of the Orchid Park. This park had a huge playground, which the kids frequented after school on the few occasions that the Mr. Sun decided to show himself in their city. It was one such afternoon, and the lady marveled at the few rays of the setting sun just barely kissing her mocha skin through the glass panels of the office. This rare warmth put a smile on her face. She spent a few moments just basking in the sunlight, when her reverie was cut short by the sound of the door opening.

"Hey, Calliope!" a deep voice of a man called from the other side of the room. "You're way early, Chief says he just got off the plane, but he is on his way to brief us, he wants us to wait. Tell you what, I don't know why he can't wait to tell us until tomorrow morning, but it excites me."

The man sat on the leather swivel chair behind the big desk when the lady turned to him.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Calliope, Mark?" Callie replied in a mock-irritated voice, which elicited a smile from her best friend. Mark put up his feet on the desk, with hands behind his head, and leaned back on the backrest.

"You really should stop doing that, Mark. If he catches you behind that desk, lord knows what he will do to you," Callie said, turning back towards the glass.

"The operative word is "if", Torres. And he will never catch me, he is behind this desk because he can no longer run to save his life," Mark replied. He barked his laughter throughout the room. Callie simply smiled without looking back. She continued watching the kids on the swings, and those on the slides. The Chief's office had the convenience of this view because it was located at the second floor of the building. Some of the children were already being picked up by their parents, the older ones were starting to walk home. Callie looked at the them with longing. She had always wanted to have a child ever since she first held her baby sister in her arms.

"Still baby watching, huh, Torres? If you would only take up my offer, you could have your own soon. We're not getting any younger, besides, we are compatible. I'm good for more than sex," Mark said.

Callie sighed. They had this conversation before. Mark was propositioning for them to settle down and create a family together. He was right, they were best friends. They have known each other for so long, it's hard to not be compatible. Mark would be a logical choice for a husband; he's smart, funny, and rather dashing. He is caring and protective; he was even good in bed, though they stopped with the casual sex four years ago. Most of all, he knew Callie inside and out. But logic and compatibility was not what Callie was looking for, however desperate she was to have a baby.

"I'm 31, Mark, I'm not that old to want to settle down. And yes, you're good for more than sex, so why would you want to settle for compatible, when you can have true love?" Callie replied.

Mark Sloan rolled his eyes. "Bullshit, there is no such thing. Your one true managed to keep out of our radar for three years after promising you she will return. Wake up, Torres. If she wanted to be with you, she would be in your apartment now, waiting for you with the dinner she cooked. Nothing is stopping her from returning, and the fact that she has not as much as sent you a friend request on Facebook means that she has no intention of being with you. She has moved on, and so should you."

Mark knew he was pulling a nerve here. Arizona was a rather sensitive topic for Callie. During the few times that her name was brought up, his friend would either pretend that she suddenly did not know how to speak, or she would yell at him, until he pretended to not know how to hear. But the man can't help but pity his best friend. Ever since Arizona left, promising to return, Callie had always been on the look out. Her heightened senses were always waiting for a sign; a hint of blonde hair, the smell of freesias, a smile, a pair of blue eyes that could belong to one Arizona Robbins. Mark knows no one deserved to live his life always waiting for a small sign, certainly not his best friend.

A muscle twitched in Callie's jaw. She was thinking of a retort, she was about to open her mouth when she saw a pair of the bluest eyes staring right at her own brown ones. Callie knew that the woman was not really staring at her. The glass panels were tinted from the outside, and she's just most likely staring at the building rather that at Callie. But from that room at the second floor of the building, she was sure that it was her. It was the same pair of blue eyes, albeit the darker circles surrounding it. She has visibly lost some weight, and now wore her blonde hair above her shoulders in messy waves, sticking out under the navy blue hoodie she sported. Yet the slight movement of her mouth leading to a pout, and the way she crossed her arms around herself when she felt the chill of dusk time breeze was distinctly Arizona. Callie touched the spot where she was standing at from behind the glass. She had hoped for this moment a thousand times. In her mind, she would run to Arizona, as fast as she could, and wrap her in her arms. Yet know that it was happening, she stood frozen inside the office of the Chief of Seattle Police department, with only a glass wall and a building storey separating her from Arizona Robbins.

"Torres, TORRES!" she was knocked out of her thoughts when she heard her name being called by two men. She turned to find the Chief already in his office. Droplets of tears were lining her eyes, threatening to fall.

"Are you okay, Torres?" Mark asked. By now he was standing next to the Chief, who was about to seat down. The elderly man gave Callie a concerned look, while stroking his beard.

"I-uhm, what?" Callie replied. The two men exchanged puzzled looks.

"You seemed distracted, Torres, should we be concerned?" Richard Webber asked. He took out two folders from the bag he carried.

Callie's mouth remained hanging, dry. The men were waiting for an answer, but the brunette turned her head away from them to look back at the spot where seconds ago, she saw the bluest eyes she has ever seen. There was no one there.

"I have to go, excuse me," Callie replied quickly, and sprinted from her spot by the wall to the door of the Chief's office. But Mark's hand closing in on her left wrist and Webber's booming voice stopped her in her tracks.

"No, you won't, Torres. I just went through a gruelling flight from Miami, and you know how much I hate flying, so you both better sit your sorry asses down while I brief you for your next assignments. No personal issues should get in the line of your duties, Torres, so unless you have a ticking timebomb shoved up your ass by a terrorist, by all means, leave my building, but be careful not to set it off in the park were the children are. If not, you better listen to me, and you listen to me good. Understood?" Webber's booming voice echoed through his office.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir," Callie replied. She sat down in front of the Chief's desk, with Mark next to her. She was confused. She wanted to go and start looking for Arizona, or for what seemed like her apparition, but she felt helpless under the judgmental gaze of the two men.

'Maybe I am going crazy,' Callie shuddered at the thought.

"Now that everything is in order, as I've said, I was in Miami, in a meeting with their police department. You both heard of the notorious breakout in their maximum sentence facility, of which, only two prisoners escaped, the father and son tandem of Luis and Gaspar Santos, the leader and right hand of the notorious Miami syndicate, El Tigre." the Chief started. A muscle in both Callie's and Mark's jaws twitched. They had personally brought those two people Webber just mentioned to justice. It still irks them to be reminded that they had been at large for five months.

"The department there had good reason to believe that the breakout was orchestrated from the outside, by nonetheless than the overlord of all the syndicates in Miami," Webber continued.

"Well, that was a decent inference, bravo, Miami police," Mark Sloan slow-clapped, but his hand hung mid-air when the Chief gave him a pointed look.

"There is more to it. The Miami police had good reason to believe that this overlord only revealed himself to the father and son when he helped them escaped. Even in the inside circles of the syndicate ring, only a few members know and have seen the face of this overlord. He, or she, is so guarded about his own identity that the members of the syndicate call him El Desaparecido."

"Wow, they sure have a thing with titles," Mark chuckled. By now, the Chief glared at him.

"Miami police thinks that El Desaparecido helped the father and son escape in order to enlist their assistance in finding the only known former member of the syndicate ring to still be living." the Chief continued. Callie gasped, knowing where this was headed.

"Miami police thinks he might be after Arizona Robbins because she has some valuable information, mostly about his identity," the Chief said.

"And they know this, because?" Callie asked.

"Miss Robbins was living with a lady friend for a year until she left her right after the father and son escaped. The Miami police were able to rescue the girl, specifically Alex Karev, you remember him from over there?" the Chief asked and both nodded in return.

"Well, Karev rescued Miss, uhm -," Webber paused for a moment to check the name in the file inside one of the folders. Callie's blood began to boil at the mention of lady friend. She was sure that had her skin been pale, her cheeks would now be visibly red. She was jealous. She did not know why. She knew she had no right. Still, she did not want to hear the name.

"Murphy, Leah. Yeah, she was abducted and was about to be taken out of the apartment she used to share with Miss Robbins. The police arrived just in the nick of time. They arrested the men. They all bore the brand of the Miami syndicate ring. Karev took Miss Murphy into questioning right after. Miss Murphy said that Miss Robbins told her she had an altercation with the law some years ago and that she owed some criminals some things and that they were after her. That she had some valuable information that could finally bring those criminals down, but she could not just talk to the police because she did not know who she could trust. Miss Robbins said that these criminals were not petty, they had an operation in almost every state and had moles everywhere." The Chief sighed after recounting the story, and then looked at Callie with concern.

"Finally, she said that there was only one cop she knew she could trust, but she was not sure if she was ready to meet her just yet," the Chief said.

"That's it?" Mark replied. "That's all that Karev got out of this girl.

"Yes. Miss Robbins told Miss Murphy enough to explain why she was leaving her, but obviously, not so much as to endanger her whereabouts. That's logical. That's what I would do," the Chief replied.

"And the only cop she trusted-," Callie began.

"Officer Karev and I had good reason to believe that it was you. Karev had leads and hints everywhere. Basically, Miss Robbins is on the run, transferring from state to state. Karev got a tip that she might finally be in Seattle right now, and ready to face you, Torres. That's why he flew me in to plan our agenda," the Chief replied.

"Which is?" Callie asked, a trimmed eyebrow raised.

"Well of course, to protect Miss Robbins, and to get that valuable information from her," the Chief replied. Callie sank down, her back touching the backrest of her chair.

"Well, how do we look for her? Do we even know she's alive? What if the reason why she's gone was not because she was on the run, but because El Desaparecido finally caught up with her? Can Karev even be trusted?" Mark said with a tone of disdain. He, Callie and Alex Karev, a young police officer for Miami, were in an operation together four years ago when they first encountered Arizona Robbins. During that time, Arizona had been framed to take the fall for El Tigre. It was Karev who had the hunch that Arizona was innocent, and it was he whom Chief Webber trusted. Even though he was proven to be right, Mark Sloan could not seem to forgive the Miami cop for earning the trust of the strict Chief after just one operation, when he had tried to earn the same for eleven years.

"We don't look for her. She will come to Torres. And when she does, we do our best to protect her. I trust Karev. It was he who called that Arizona Robbins was not the criminal during your last operation together. He had been right." the Chief talked with finality that signaled to Mark that Karev's competence was not up to discussion. While Callie felt sympathy for her partner, she knew that he couldn't be more wrong. Arizona was alive. She just saw her. Callie smiled. At least she was not going crazy.

"Here are your files," the Chief said, handing them the brown folders. "Review them overnight, and Callie, be prepared. She might come anytime."

"What will I do when she does?" Callie asked, suddenly with fear in her eyes.

"You will know what to do. You have to draw her in so..," the Chief studied Callie for a while. "You'd have to at least be friendly, yet professional."

Despite the smile he offered Callie, the brunette knew that last statement was loaded.

"That's it, you're both dismissed. Please get out of my office," the Chief said waving his right hand. Both Callie and Mark stood up to leave.

* * *

Later that night, bag on her shoulder, leather jacket around her and the brown folder clutched in her arm, Callie Torres walked along the brightly lit street towards her apartment building, with Mark Sloan by her side. It was their evening routine. Mark insisted on walking Callie to her building, even though that area was well lit and with tight security. Callie always found it sweet of her friend, but tonight, she found it extra comforting. They haven't talked since the 20-minute trek from the police department.

"He probably dismissed us so abruptly so that he could jack off," Mark Sloan started, trying to break the ice. Usually, those kinds of jokes would elicit a small chuckle from his best friend, followed by a light punch to his arm. But tonight, Callie was silent.

"Torres," Mark started. Callie stopped walking and looked at him

"Chief was right, she is still alive." Callie said. Mark looked visible hurt by those words.

"Look, I know you want her to be alive, I do, too, but I thought you would at least pretend to be on my side," Mark said, thinking that this was about his unspoken rivalry with Karev.

"No, there are no sides to take, Mark. I saw her, right by the park, in front of our building. That was why I was distracted when the Chief came. That was I was trying to leave the room. I saw her, and in a flash, she was gone," Callie narrated. "I saw her, Mark, and I did nothing, now I might not see her again."

Tears that were a while ago threatening to fall now flowed down her cheeks with liberty. Mark wrapped his arms around his best friend in a protective instinct.

"Shhhhh, the Chief is right. She will come to you. You will see her again, and then, you'll know what to do," Mark rubbed his best friend's back, reassuring her.

"Will I be able to nail this, Mark?" Callie looked up at her taller friend, worry etched on her face.

"You will figure it out, and some more. You are a rock star," Mark said. Callie finally smiled. The pair began their walk again, with Mark's arm now around Callie's shoulder.

From a safe distance, hiding behind a maple tree, a pair of blue eyes watched intently as a tall man and a brunette walked down the street arm in arm. Her blood began to boil. If it weren't nighttime, she was sure that her cheeks were now visibly red. She was jealous. She did not know why. She knew she had no right. Still, she had a sudden craving for cigarettes.


	2. Chapter 2

The blonde peered through the view piece of her binoculars. She saw two circles converging in the middle, and in the view field, she saw the most beautiful brunette emerge from the bedroom into the windows. Callie opened those windows to smell the red roses in the plant box underneath it. She took the watering can placed on the edge of the plant box, and watered her plants. Upon finishing, the brunette stretched inside her red, silk jammies and went out of sight. Arizona knew that she was about to take a bath.

Arizona woke up at 6 A.M. to take a bath and set-up her equipment. She liked to use the word equipment just to sound professional. Truly, what she set up was just a pair of binoculars on top of a tripod, and her MacBook computer. Arizona knew that Callie woke up at 6:30 during Sundays, so she made sure she woke up earlier.

Her hair was still damp when she began cleaning and oiling her guns. She thanked the universe that during her 5 months on the run, she only had to use them twice. Arizona smiled to herself. After three years, she still had her touch. During those three short years outside Miami's crime ring and inside the real world, Arizona never touched a gun, nor did anything illegal, except for erasing her name in several watch lists and police databases. It was a thing she had not wanted to do at first, but Callie talked her into doing. The brunette convinced her that she has earned it. Arizona still feels guilty for not going behind the bars and serving her time for the things she has done. True enough, she did not organize El Tigre, she did not do all those things she was accused of doing, but she was still part of it all. Callie told her that she was already punished enough inside the syndicate, and that was justice. She did not need more.

Arizona never thought this day would come again, that the skills she has learned all those years as a criminal would once again be useful. Except for the two times the men from Miami almost caught up with her, she, on her lonesome, had successfully evaded one of the biggest crime rings in the United States for 5 months. She knew it would not take long, and that they would eventually catch her. The father and son had a lot of men and a lot of resources. Not to mention, they now had El Desaparecido's back. She, meanwhile, had two guns.

She hummed three rounds of Lady Marmalade to herself. That's how long it took Callie to bathe, in her memory. True enough, when she returned to her binoculars, Callie reemerged from the bathroom, a blue towel wrapped around her, and her wet hair wrapped in another. Arizona's breath hitched in her chest. Loose tendrils of wet, black hair fell gently to smooth, brown shoulders when Callie removed the hair towel and began removing the one around her body as well. Arizona had a brief glimpse of a fully naked body just before she voluntarily retreated from the binoculars.

She shook her head. Callie still did not care about undressing near a window. She said no one would see her anyway; her apartment was on the 8th floor. Wrong. Arizona specifically chose this Spartan hotel room because it had a good view of Callie's window.

But Arizona would not be a voyeur. She would respect Callie's privacy, no matter how tempting a naked Calliope looked like. She even tried hard not to think about what she saw. The mocha skin. Those luscious round breasts. The trimmed mound down south. Those things she used to look at and admire freely, but now, she tried to push away from her thoughts out of respect. Even as a criminal, Arizona still held high standards when it came to honor. She has never shot an enemy while his back was turned to her. She has never backed down from her word. Except when she failed to return to Seattle 3 years ago.

Besides, she was only scouting Callie in order to find the perfect timing to approach her. So far, so good. During the past three days, Calliope Torres went by the same routine that Arizona was used to. Which meant she would go grocery shopping in the next hour. The blonde elected not to follow her. She did not want to be seen in public, and besides, she knew Callie would return with her groceries and a box of pizza just in time for lunch, and pop in a DVD of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Then later at night she would go out with Teddy and a couple of girl friends. Maybe Arizona would come, then.

The blonde went to the bathroom to use the hair blower. Seeing herself in the mirror, she noticed the dark circles around her eyes. Sure, she had evaded her enemies for months on end, but those months had never been easy, they had certainly been sleepless. She thought of Leah Murphy, the poor girl she used to fill Callie's void. Arizona knew she was still alive and well. If El Desaparecido already had her, he would have sent a finger or an ear as a warning. Still, wherever she was, Arizona hoped Leah was sleeping better. She did not deserve to be dragged into this mess.

Arizona touched the dark circles and wondered whether Callie would still find her attractive when she sees her. As soon as she had the thought, she quickly pushed it down. To even entertain even the possibility of Callie being attracted to her again was ridiculous. Her mission was straightforward: give Callie what she needs to bring an end to the Miami crime ring, and then face her death at the hands of the same gang. No man who has successfully freed himself from that group has ever lived for as long as she did. It's only a matter of time.

* * *

Callie pushed the keys to the lock of her red, vintage mustang. She would go to the grocery to get her usual cereals, eggs, and milk. She used to cook a lot, but as she got older, she found it quite tedious to cook for one person. After Arizona left, she would only cook when she had Mark, Teddy, or Addison over, or during her birthdays when she would host parties in her flat. On most days, her best friend was pizza. She rolled out the garage of her building when she remembered to get Oreos. Arizona loved those, though the blonde would just eat the cream filling and discard the rest. She had to get them. Just in case.

* * *

Arizona waited for 3 hours. Usually, when Callie did her grocery shopping, she would also drop off her laundry, and do a couple of other errands. She cleaned her guns, a white, Smith and Wesson J-frame revolver, and a Glock G17. The revolver was a gift from Luis Santos, the father, while the Glock was a gift from Gaspar, the son. It seemed ironic now that Arizona had those two guns to protect her from them.

She counted the little money she had left. 200 dollars. She would have to make another hack to the bank, or she would have to move faster. Having to rob money from the bank again did not sit well in Arizona's stomach after she had been clean from crime for three years. She has to talk to Callie soon. After that, the money would not matter. She's ready to face her death.

Arizona moved from the bed to the small table by the window where her computer was placed. She entered a password to the server of the Bank of the Cayman Islands. The blonde hope she could be forgiven for the last 1000 dollars she has to take.

* * *

Callie drove slowly down the street. She had just been to the cleaners and to Jeremy's, the best pizza in all of Seattle. She also had three bags of groceries on the passenger's seat, with three packs of Doublestuff Oreos, just the way Arizona liked it.

The brunette sighed. It had been three days since she saw Arizona by the park, three days since the Chief had briefed her and Mark regarding their new assignment, yet the blonde had not come. Maybe the Chief had been wrong. Maybe she would not come at all, and the blonde just stood there in front of Seattle Police Department trying to catch a last glimpse of Callie, before she went away for good. Maybe she changed her mind, and thought that she could not trust Callie anyway. The brunette banged her hands on the steering wheel. What has Arizona gotten herself into? Why did El Desaparecido have a sudden interest in her?

* * *

Arizona began hacking into the bank's online client service. She used another client's name and identity. She'd like to describe herself more as a social hacker. She got the necessary information from asking the right questions. People do not know just how easily they could give away their passwords and answers to their security questions to people they just met.

She was almost finished answering all of a certain Irene Nesser's security questions when she heard the voice of a woman from the external speakers plugged to the 3mm jack of her computer. She hiked the volume up.

A recorded voice of Calliope Torres began speaking.

"Hi, this is Callie Torres, I might not be at home so why don't you leave a message and I'll get back at you when I can. Have a nice day!" the cheerful, recorded voice stopped and the voice of another woman surfaced. There was a lump in Arizona's throat. It was the first time she has heard Callie's voice in three years.

"Hey, Callie, pick-up the phone, it's Sunday noon, I know you're at home," Arizona smiled. It was the voice of Teddy Altman, Callie's friend and another police officer, to whom Arizona has grown fond of.

As an extra precaution, Arizona had decided to wiretap Callie's home phone as well. Her apartment building was rather easy to get into. It was in a good neighborhood, and everyone trusted everyone. The blonde was able to enter Callie's flat and put up her bugging equipment because the brunette still kept her spare key in the same place; underneath the pot of orchid above the floor's emergency kit. As soon as Callie left the house the other day to go to work, Arizona simply let herself in her apartment. She was not able to get a hold of Callie's cellphone, though, in order to bug it as well. Of course, Callie took it with her wherever she went. That girl cannot seem to be separated from her phone and it sometimes irritated Arizona.

"Hey Teds, just did some morning errands, what's up?" Callie's voice permeated the hotel room.

Arizona moved towards her binoculars. Callie answered the phone inside her bedroom, and was slightly visible, lying on her stomach on the bed with an open magazine. Her smooth legs were propped up the dashboard.

"I got an invitation for the soft opening of a new tapas place. They are opening tonight, booze on the house. Addison said yes. Just us three, no boys," Teddy said.

"No Mark?" Callie asked.

"Most definitely," Teddy replied.

"Okay, good, I'm in," Callie said. Mark was her best friend and closest confidante, but still, his presence can be suffocating sometimes. Tonight, she just wanted to talk about Arizona and not be judged for it. She just wanted someone who would listen to her without feeling the need to tell her to move on. That was what Teddy and Addison were good at.

Arizona pouted. She wondered why Callie did not want to see Mark tonight. They looked a little too handsy the other day for her taste.

"Okay, we'll pick you up at around 8, wear something nice," Teddy said.

"Hey, I thought no boys?" Callie replied, her forehead furrowed.

"Yeah, but it's still flattering to see people stare," Teddy said.

"Okay," Callie replied, chuckling. Teddy was good for listening, if she was not too busy getting men to look at her.

"Okay, I'll hung up now, see you," Teddy said.

"Oh, hey Teds, wait," Callie said.

"What?"

"You look AMAZING, okay? You don't need to make an effort for people to notice you," Callie replied. Her friend was just reeling from a bad divorce, and needed to be reminded how beautiful she was.

"Thanks, Cal, you're too kind," Teddy replied.

"Bye"

"Bye"

Arizona smiled to herself. Callie had not changed. She's still the good and loyal friend she was before. She had a big heart, and that's what she loves most about her.

'Love?' Arizona thought. 'Why use the present tense?'

Arizona paced her small room, coming to a decision that she would follow Callie tonight. Whether or not she would finally approach her would depend on the situation. It could do her good to finally go out of her hotel room and loosen up a little. Anyway, El Desaparecido's men would not expect her to check out a newly opened Spanish bar. They knew she was careful.

She looked at her bags. She only managed to throw in a few clothes when she left Leah in their apartment. She threw many of her old clothes when she transferred from state to state, and many of what she had now were for disguise. She had several hoodies, and some wigs and sneakers for running. She searched for something suitable to wear, something that would live up to Teddy Altman's description of 'nice'.

After an hour, she gave up. She put on her navy blue hoodie above her plain white shirt, and a pair of dark sunglasses. She would have to go to the mall to get a red dress.

Callie loves red on her.

'Well, loved.' Arizona corrected her tense.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you all for reading and for all the kind feedback. I may not be able to upload as swiftly after this chapter, as Christmas vacation is almost over and I'd be going back to school. However, I will try to update at least once a week. Again, feel free to comment or message me. Your kind words keep me going._

* * *

Arizona Robbins was satisfied with the mini red dress she bought. The dress hung just above her knees, and had short sleeves. The cut hugged her body just right and showed just enough cleavage. Moreover, it was a darker shade of red to not direct too much attention.

She was just finished fixing her hair. At first, she did not know what to do with it. Five months ago, she had cut her long blonde hair short, and now it was beginning to grow above her shoulder in odd directions. After half an hour of struggling, she finally decided to just leave it bouncy and messy. Arizona applied concealer beneath her sallow eyes. She might not have any hair products with her, but she had make-up. She sometimes used make-up for disguise. It was a skill that only she, as the only woman in El Tigre, knew how to do.

The blonde thickened her eyebrows and applied mascara. She puffed her cheeks up with a light red blush and brought her lips to a rosy pink pucker. She sprayed Callie's favorite freesia scent. The blonde gave herself a wide smile, which brought out her dimples.

Arizona tiptoed over to the shopping bag and brought out a small rectangular box. She opened it, biting her lower lip in anticipation. Inside was a pair of black, open-toe heels. The blonde almost cried. In 5 months, she never had the luxury of wearing heels. She had always worn sneakers, which were made for running. Arizona slipped on the heels she just bought, and stood in front of the full body mirror her room conveniently came with.

For the first time in months, Arizona felt beautiful. Self-esteem was a luxury she allowed herself, just this once, just for tonight.

Callie had been right. It was only now that she acknowledged that she really did look good in red.

_FLASHBACK:_

_"Dear, I bought you something, it's in your closet," Callie said as she cleared the table and what was left of the delicious lasagna dinner she cooked for her and her girlfriend. Arizona was in the bar, pouring wine for both of them._

_"Mhmm?" Arizona mumbled in between sips of her white wine. She picked up a lilac envelope on the counter and took out what was inside. _

_"Calliope," Arizona said, poring through the contents of the envelope. "This wedding thing you have to attend on Saturday, it says that they reserved two seats for you. I wonder, since you'd be taking Mark, can you cook lunch for me beforehand so I just have to reheat it? I can't cook to save my life."_

_Callie gave her a disbelieving look. "Who said I'd be taking Mark? You idiot, of course you'd be my date, that's why I bought you a dress. It's in your closet. Now fit it and let me see," Callie smiled, but then frowned when Arizona gave her one of her cute pouts._

_"It's just, what will your friends think of you, bringing me as your date? Weddings are very personal, and you and your group of friends are close-knit. To them, I'm an outsider you just met for a week," Arizona said, pouting. Her blue eyes were so sad and sincere; Callie felt that she could melt in a puddle at any given time. The brunette put the plates down on the dinner table and approached her girlfriend. _

_"Sweetie, you are not just an outsider I met for a week and then asked to move in with me," Callie said, massaging the furrow on the blonde's forehead with a thumb._

_"Yeah, because we know each other for two months now," Arizona answered in sarcasm. True enough, they have known each other for two months. But it has only been a week after Callie, Mark and Alex Karev were able to arrest the Santos father and son, a week of living a normal life in the outside world with Arizona. As soon as the Santoses were brought in to the headquarters, and Callie and Mark praised and decorated by the Chief, Callie asked Arizona to move in with her. The blonde resisted at first, not wanting Callie to think that she was a burden, but she succumbed to the reasoning of the brunette. Indeed, Callie was right. Arizona knew nothing of a world aside from what was inside the Miami crime ring. Callie would help her adjust, until she found her place in it, including landing on a stable and legal job._

_"Hunny, what we went through together during those two months, that was special. I would not exchange it for any length of time of getting to know you. I love you, and you love me, and none of the rest of it matters. Certainly not my friends. And precisely because they're my friends, they won't judge," Callie replied, caressing Arizona's cheek. The blonde melted into Callie's palm before responding._

_"You haven't even come out to them," Arizona replied. _

_"I did not even know I was attracted to girls before," Callie countered. _

_"Fair enough," Arizona replied, smiling. Callie could not resist kissing both of her dimples._

_"Now get up, go try on your dress and model it for me," Callie said, spanking the blonde's butt as she got up from the stool. Arizona ran into their room._

_"I'm excited, is it blue?" Arizona asked from inside the room._

_"Nah-uh," Callie replied._

_"Oh, it's red," a disappointed voice came from inside the room. Arizona came out with the red, knee length, halter dress still in its hanger, with matching disappointed face._

_"What's wrong?" Callie asked._

_"You wear it. You look divine in red," Arizona said, waving the dress in front of Callie and nodding in agreement to her own statement._

_"Sweetie, the moment I saw this dress in the mall this afternoon, I imagined you in it," Callie replied. "Don't you like it?"_

_"You wear red, you look like Aphrodite. I wear red, I look like a tomato," Arizona reasoned, pouting._

_"But you're a very cute tomato, the cutest tomato that ever lived," Callie replied, teasing. "But seriously, hunny, just try it on. You haven't even seen it on you. Pretty please?"_

_Callie had on her caramel puppy dog eyes that Arizona could never resist. The blonde stripped from her jammies and put on the red dress. The brunette stood up from the stool and helped Arizona with the zipper on the back, not without giving her creamy, white nape a feathery kiss. _

_"Thanks," Arizona whispered. She twirled in her dress. "Well?"_

_"Breathtaking," Callie said, with her hands in her mouth. The blonde felt uneasy. Red was not her color. Blue was cool and serene, but red screams for attention. All her life, she did her best to hide in the shadows. All her life, she was taught that it was her place. That was why she found sanctuary in blue. _

_Yet the look on Callie's eyes told her that the brunette was only being honest when she told her she looked breathtaking. Like she wanted the world to notice Arizona. The blonde was not sure whether or not she was worthy of the attention, but she was willing to bend for this woman. She was willing to believe, because of this woman she loved so much. _

_"Of course, I'll wear it. Anything for you, Calliope."_

* * *

Arizona waited inside a taxicab a safe distance away from Callie's apartment building. It was ten minutes past 8 on her watch, and she hoped Teddy would come sooner to pick Callie up before the driver grew suspicious. Almost like a miracle, a white Toyota Camry pulled beside the entrance of the building. Calliope Torres came out of the front door, wearing a red blouse underneath her favorite leather jacket. Brown leather boots adorned her feet, which she wore over her jeans. She had her hair tied in a half pony. It was a simple get up, yet enough to take Arizona's breath away.

Callie entered the car through the door at the back. Addison must be sitting beside Teddy.

"There, follow that car," Arizona told the driver.

"Will I get in trouble for this, ma'am?" the driver asked suspiciously.

"No. I just think my boyfriend is cheating on me with that woman," Arizona lied. The driver snickered.

"Well, you should dump him. He's an idiot for cheating on a lady as gorgeous as you are," the driver replied as he hit the gas and began tailing Teddy's car.

Arizona did not reply, though she couldn't help but blush. It was the first compliment she had received in months.

* * *

The three ladies entered the hole in a wall bar with Teddy going in first to introduce herself to the owner. They were faced with a dainty woman wearing thick blue-rimmed glasses and sporting spiky hair. She was in a brown apron with the name Sonia's written in front.

"Girls, this is Sonia Zaldivar, she was my classmate in history when I studied in Spain for 2 years. Sonia, these are my good friends, Callie Torres and Addison Montgomery," Teddy introduced the lot.

"Nice to meet you, thank you for inviting us to your bar's opening," Callie and Addison said in unison, shaking the owner's hands.

"It's my pleasure to meet Teddy's friends. Please come in and enjoy yourselves. Drinks are on the house," Sonia replied. A waiter led them to a private booth far from the dance floor as Sonia entertained her other guests. The bar looked homey and impressive. It had the right balance for when one wanted to socialize, or wanted to be left alone. The dark place was illuminated by dim, soft lights, and each booth was illuminated by colorful, aromatic candles.

Callie placed down her bag on the table as she sat down in front of Addison and Teddy. The same waiter took their orders of margaritas and tapas.

"Well," Addison started. "Teddy told me about your next assignment. We know how hard it is for you, so we decided in the car that tonight is a Callie-night. Seriously, we won't be bringing up our own issues. Tonight, you have our ears exclusively." Addison was not a police officer, so she's not always up to date with department gossip. Teddy would fill her in so that she would not feel left out whenever the three went out together. The trio had been best friends since high school; however, the red head took a different path and went to medical school.

"Thank you." Callie started. "I saw her, Addie. She was there, by the park. I saw her three days ago. When the Chief told me that Arizona would surely be coming for me, I half expected her to turn up in my apartment the moment I got home. But it has been three days. She knows how to reach me. I hate thinking that maybe, she has changed her mind, that she did not trust me after all. I hate the false hope this assignment has given me." Callie felt her chest go lighter as she let it out, though tears were once again threatening to fall.

"And you are hoping for?" Addison asked, a furrow on her forehead.

"I don't even know, Addie. Sometimes I imagine seeing her again, and running to her arms, forgetting what she has done. Sometimes I imagine myself giving her the good, hard slap on the face that she deserved. But when I saw her in the park, not any of those two scenarios occurred. I just stood there inside Chief Webber's office, frozen. And now, three days have passed. I'm afraid I lost the chance to tell her how I feel about her leaving me, even though I don't know for myself how I really feel," Callie explained.

"But do, you, still, you know, love her?," Addison asked. Teddy gave the red head a kick underneath the table. She felt that she was pushing Callie too soon.

Before the brunette could even process that question, the waiter came back with their drinks and food.

"Margaritas for the damas, and tapas for the pelirroja," the waiter said, winking at Addison. However, as he set the food down, the tapas fell on both Addison's and Teddy's laps.

"I'm terribly sorry," the waiter said with a worried look.

"No, no, it's okay, we understand. It's a soft opening, everything's still shaky," Teddy said.

"Yes. No worries. Just kindly tell us where the bathroom is," Addison replied, totally wanting to bite the waiter's head off. The green dress she wore was new.

"Right these way, ladies."

"Excuse us for a minute, Callie, will you be fine by yourself for a while?" Addison asked.

"Take your time, don't worry about me," Callie smiled. The waiter led Callie's friends to the direction of the bathroom.

Callie took a sip of her margarita. She was grateful for the diversion. She was not quite ready to give Addison an answer to her question.

It has not been a minute after Addison and Teddy left when a big, burly man in a suit approached the brunette with a hand extended.

"Will you give me the pleasure of a dance?" the man asked. Callie looked up to stare at him. He was bald and sporting a goatee, and was about 6 feet 5 inches tall. He spoke with an unmistakable Cuban accent and was reeking of alcohol.

"Sorry, sir, I have company," Callie refused politely.

"Come on, lady, you look sad and alone. You could use some lovin' tonight," the man replied.

'Is this man serious?' Callie thought. It couldn't have been more than five minutes since Addison and Teddy left.

"A no is a no, sir," Callie said. She returned to her drink, but her left hand was on her police badge, ready for when he caused trouble.

"No one says no to me, you bitch, don't you know who I am?" the man shoved Callie's shoulder back in order to force her to look at him. Callie was about to show the man her badge, when she saw a red dress go between her and the man, and a pair of the bluest eyes ever.

"Is he bothering you?" Arizona Robbins spoke to Callie Torres for the first time in three years.

"Who the hell are you?" the man shoved Arizona so strongly that she fell to the floor. At this, Callie stood up and placed herself between the blonde and the man.

"You gotta back off, now! That's no way to treat a woman," Callie said, her hand on her badge, ready to flash it.

Arizona tried to stand up. This was not the kind of meeting with Callie she had in mind. She looked up, removing the wisps of blonde her from her face. The first thing she saw was the face of the man, and she knew the man was staring at her, too.

It was Ben from El Tigre. An expert on the transport and concealment of illegal firearms. They even knew each other personally. She saw Ben's eyes grow wide, trying to fight the alcohol in his system to put a name to her face.

"It's her!" Ben yelled. Three men in black suits previously facing the bar turned to face their direction.

'Oh shit' Arizona thought. She stood up immediately and grabbed Callie's hand.

"Calliope, run!" she ordered the brunette. She led Callie towards the kitchen as the blonde heard gunshots fired in their direction. Callie saw Teddy rush to the scene with her gun in her hands as soon as she heard the shots.

"Go, get backup," Teddy shouted, throwing her car keys to her friend. She had a police radio in her car.

Arizona continued to lead her towards the backdoor of the kitchen and outside as they heard people scream and plates and glasses shatter. As soon as they hit the gravel outside, it was Callie who pulled on Arizona, as the blonde had difficulty running on her heels.

"Come on Arizona," Callie said as Arizona stumbled to the ground. The brunette looked back. The bald man was able to follow them outside and had his gun pointed at Arizona. Callie saw that the blonde was also looking at the man in suit.

Callie moved fast. Arizona saw the bullet move just a few inches above her nose. She heard a yelp from Ben. The brunette had shot him on the leg.

"Come on, the car is over there," Callie help Arizona stand up. The two ran to the parking lot towards a white Camry. They opened the driver and passenger's doors simultaneously and went inside. Callie fumbled for the police radio, which she handed to Arizona.

"Turn it on, ask for back up, describe what happened and the location," Callie instructed as she pulled out of the parking lot. In the rearview mirror, she saw two men try to run after Teddy's car, firing several shots on it.

"Get down!" Callie said, shoving Arizona's head down.

"Roger, I'm with Officer Calliope Torres, requesting for back up, over," Arizona began, looking at Callie, unsure of what she was doing.

"Who is this?" the voice of Mark permeated the car. Callie knew he was on duty.

"It's Callie, Mark, it's Callie! Teddy needs help; she's alone fighting three men. I took one down" Callie shouted through the radio that Arizona held. "I'm on the run!"

"Well, turn back and help her!" Mark replied. "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm with the subject. I'm with Arizona Robbins," Callie replied.

"Don't turn back. Whatever you do, Torres, don't turn back, we'll handle it," the voice of Richard Webber took over. "Take her to a safe place. Where is Teddy?"

Callie motioned for Arizona to take over as she navigated the busy streets looking for a place to take Arizona.

"It's a restaurant called Sonia's, down Jefferson street corner 64th," Arizona spoke through the radio.

"Okay, got it," Mark Sloan replied coldly. The Chief began dispatching the other units to the place.

Callie drove for ten minutes without speaking to her passenger as she looked for a safe place to stop. It was Arizona who broke the silence.

"We could go to the forest just outside the city," the blonde suggested.

"Yeah, we could," Callie replied with a knot in her stomach. That was the place where they tried to have sex once and almost got caught by a park ranger. Callie went out of the freeway and exited to the road leading to the forest. In twenty minutes, they reached their destination. Callie parked Teddy's car just at the edge, where the trees were still thin. Her right hand, the one that Arizona held as they ran a while ago, was still burning.

"What the hell, Arizona? What have you gotten yourself into," Callie said. She was surprised at her words. Years of practicing what to say to Arizona when she finally decides to show up all boiled down to a few cuss words.

"I'm sorry Calliope, I swear..," Arizona started but Callie cut her.

"Do not Calliope me and do not dare swear again if you cannot follow through," Callie responded, crossing her arms around her chest.

"I understand your anger, I guess I deserved it," Arizona said. "But we all have our reasons for our choices. " Arizona let out a tired sigh. "I did not get myself involved in anything. I was living a clean life."

"I believe you," Callie said, calming down.

"Thank you. Can we talk?" Arizona said. Callie heard the pleading in her voice.

"We have all night," Callie said. And then, relaxing her arms, she added, "you look really pretty."

"Thank you for noticing. I tried," Arizona replied, blushing.

"You wore the red dress and everything," Callie said, chuckling lightly. Arizona laughed along with her. The brunette had missed those dimples.

It's going to be a long night, and deep in her heart, Callie already knew exactly what she was hoping for.


	4. Chapter 4

_Three years ago_

_The tall, darkish man was led into a dark, interrogation room. Only a single lamp illuminated the spartan space, with a small, square table at the middle and two seats opposite each other. An old, balding man was already seated when the man arrived._

_He had been inside his cell for one month, and what used to be attractive stubble on his jaw grew out to be a messy beard. He looked at the older man with brown, piercing eyes as he sat down. The old man was wearing a light brown jacket over a blue button-down shirt._

_"You have 5 minutes. I don't want to get into any trouble.," the old jail guard said as he moved towards the door._

_"No recordings and no one listening in, I hope," the older man said weakly._

_"None. As I've said, I don't want any trouble," the jail guard replied._

_"He won't get 5 minutes. I won't talk unless I have my lawyer with me," the younger man said, addressing the guard._

_"Here, now, Gaspar," the older man started. Gaspar was startled upon hearing the man speak his name. The older man poured him some brandy into a glass that he had not noticed until then. "I think the odds would turn in your favor if you talk to me. Look at where your attorney has gotten you."_

_"You dare talk to me like that? Old man, don't you know who I am?" Gaspar replied, unsure._

_"Boy, don't you know who I am?" the old man laughed. Gaspar's blood ran cold. He almost stood up when the old man reached to his own collar with his left, veiny hand. He unbuttoned the top button and dragged the collar down. Almost like lightning, Gaspar sat down; his head bowed, his hands on his head, as if shielding it._

_"Forgive me, forgive me, I did not know" Gaspar cowered. The letters E D were burnt in bold just above the old man's left chest, healing into an ugly scar. As a child, he was taught to fear that mark. His father, Luis, told him that they must work hard and toil to make El Tigre worthy of this man's notice. Luis told him that he must live his life looking forward to the day that the man with the letters E.D. scarring his left chest would come to him and let him in the innermost circles of Miami's gangland. With the collapse of El Tigre and their subsequent arrest, all hope of ever meeting El Desaparecido had been extinguished from Gaspar's mind. Yet now, the man is before him, revealing himself just after Gaspar has insulted him._

_"Your grandfather has taught your father well to fear this mark," El Desaparecido said, buttoning his shirt once again. "Who, I guess, taught you."_

_"You-you knew my grandfather?" Gaspar stuttered. The old man chuckled._

_"Your grandfather and I, we started the modern Miami crime circle together, son. He was my best friend," the old man replied. "But then I killed him after he double-crossed me. I also killed his family, but let your father live because I believed in him. I thought he could be my second hand in running this business. Of course, I let him grow on his own, let him establish his own, small, gun smuggling enterprise; let him name it El Tigre. I wanted him to enter Miami's crime ring from the ground up, to prove himself. But then, you allowed a single girl blow up everything you worked hard for." _

_"You were this close to earning my favor." El Desaparecido said, holding up his index finger and thumb._

_"So why are you still here? Why did you come for me?" Gaspar replied._

_"You mean why I called in an extremely rare favor from your jail guard, a favor I've been saving all my life for something very important? Because I need something from you, something that I cannot get by myself," El Desaparecido said. He pushed the glass of brandy towards Gaspar once again and smiled. Gaspar picked it up and took a sip._

_"What?"_

_"Not what, but who." El Desparacido looked at Gaspar, contemplating. "Arizona Robbins."_

_"My babydoll? What do you need from that bitch?" Gaspar spat. His blood boiled at the mention of the blonde's name. "Why do you need me? You can easily kidnap her."_

_"Yes, I could. In fact, I just spoke to her yesterday," El Desaparecido replied. _

_"How is she? How is my babydoll?" Gaspar almost jumped from his seat. He felt his heart race in hunger for the blonde._

_"She's doing better than ever. She now has a job in the Seattle Police Department, Cybercrimes Division," the old man reported._

_"Is she, is she now with that dyke policeman who took her away from me?" Gaspar almost shouted. A vein pulsed in his temple._

_"If you mean Calliope Torres, then yes. She lives in Calliope's place," El Desaparecido replied. _

_"That bitch," Gaspar banged on the table, muttering to himself. And looking up once again to face the old man, he said, "what do you need me for? I thought you already had her."_

_"Of course, I let her go to do what I asked her to do. But she won't do it. Torturing her won't do any good, and sadly, she has no family with whom I can threaten her. I don't say this very often, but without you, I am helpless," El Desaparecido said._

_"She needs to be controlled. She needs to believe it in her heart that what she is being asked to do is the right thing. She needs to be made to feel like she was reduced to dust, that she was nothing without her master's orders, that she is unworthy of her own choices. These things, you were able to do to her before, for more than ten years. She might have escaped from your clutches for a month, but she cannot simply snap out of more than a decade's worth of dependency on you." the old man continued._

_"So you are asking me..," Gaspar started._

_"To remind Arizona Robbins of her true place. To once again, own her, like you did for 15 years. It would be easy for you, not so much for me." El Desaparecido finished the sentence for him._

_"And you will take my father and I out of jail for me to accomplish that?" Gaspar asked._

_"Yes, though I admit, it would be difficult. I had my best lawyers look over your case, and sadly, that Alex Karev and Calliope Torres did a good job in filing a hard, solid case against you. I'm afraid that there will be no acquittal, nor lowering of your sentence," the old man replied._

_"Then what can you do?" Gaspar asked._

_"It will have to be a breakout. And perfect breakouts are not orchestrated overnight. No, you will have to be patient and wait. But once you and your father are out, I will let you into my inner circle and protect you. It's still your best shot," El Desaparecido replied._

_"My father and I will wait, on one condition," Gaspar replied. He knows that he was walking a thin line in trying to bargain with the old man, but the hunger in his blood made him do it._

_"I want my babydoll for myself," Gaspar said._

_"You can have her when I no longer have a use for her," El Desaparecido replied and smiled. _

_The old jail guard opened the door to the interrogation room once again and entered._

_"Your 5 minutes is over, my shift is almost done and my replacement is coming soon," the jail guard croaked._

_"Thank you, Jose, we are about done," El Desaparecido replied, standing up._

"_An agent of mine will get in touch with you, soon, son," the old man said, tapping Gaspar on his shoulder. Without looking back at him, the old man shifted his weight on a black cane and hobbled his way to the door._

* * *

"Calliope"

"Arizona"

The two ladies started at the same time.

"You go first," the blonde said.

"No, you said you wanted to talk, you go first," Callie said, forcing a smile. They had remained silent for at least 10 minutes inside the car before they spoke each other's name simultaneously. The brunette's ears burned after being called Calliope once again. Callie had never allowed anyone else to call her by the name she hated, except for Arizona. There was something about the way the name rolls off the blonde's tongue that Callie only now realized that she has missed.

'God, I missed her,' Callie thought, watching the blonde as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I am sorry, Callie. I don't know how many times I should ask for your forgiveness just to make up for the fact that I left you," Arizona started.

"You told me you would return after 2 months, once you have settled your debts with all the people you caused damage to. I organized a nationwide search for you, Arizona!" Callie replied with bitterness in her voice.

"I know, I saw my face in the papers," Arizona replied. "Again, I am sorry. I'm not proud of what I did, but we have our choices to make."

"I do not understand. I am one of your choices Arizona, what option could be better than being with me?" Callie spat. The brunette put her left hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear. Arizona did not respond.

"Maybe you stopped," Callie said.

"Stopped what?" Arizona replied.

"Loving me. Maybe the thought of being with me only appealed to you when we were both inside El Tigre, because I was the only one you had then," Callie said.

"No, no, no. Please don't ever think that. It's not your fault," Arizona replied, placing her hand lightly on top of Callie's.

"Then why could you not give me an explanation as to why you left me? It does not make sense, Arizona," Callie replied. She removed her hand from Arizona's touch, opened the door of the car and exited. She rested her body on the Camry and wrapped her arms around herself. The brunette was not able to fight off the tears as they came.

"Hey, come back inside, it's cold here," Arizona said, getting off the car as well and walking towards Callie.

"And Leah Murphy? You never stopped loving me yet you have another woman in your bed?" Callie said. Tears streamed down her face and she found it hard to breathe. Arizona placed her thumbs on Callie's cheeks, trying to wipe the tears away, but the brunette turned her face to the other side.

"She is an awesome girl. She is no you, but I just wanted to live a normal life, I'm sorry," Arizona replied.

"Normal? You think you cannot live a normal life with me?" Callie spat. She could not believe what the blonde was saying.

"It's not that simple..," Arizona started but Callie cut her off.

"Then explain! Arizona, I am not dumb. I may be no brain surgeon but I am smart. I graduated at the top of my class at the academy. I have the record for most cases closed in our department. I am a decorated police officer, Arizona. I can comprehend," Callie said.

The blonde saw the brunette shiver. Arizona opened her mouth but no words came out. Instead, she did what instinct told her to do and wrapped her arms around Callie's waist.

"What do you think you're doing?" Callie asked, keeping her own arms at her sides. She inhaled the smell of freesias. Callie knew Arizona put on that cologne for her. She has never felt this close to another person in three years. The heat coming from Arizona's body thawed her resolve.

"I'm keeping you warm," Arizona replied, burying her face at the crook of Callie's neck. The brunette saw goose bumps forming at the blonde's back. Arizona was starting to shiver. Callie removed her arms from her sides and wrapped them around the blonde, rubbing her palms across her cold back.

"I'm so, so sorry, Calliope," Arizona whispered unto her skin.

"There is no bringing back three years," Callie replied. She continued producing friction on Arizona's back.

"Why is El Desaparecido chasing you?" Callie asked.

"I'll talk when we get to the your office. For now, I'm cold, Calliope," Arizona replied. They held each other even tighter for a few more minutes. Callie felt hot tears pooling on her neck. She kissed Arizona on top of her head before suggesting that they return back to the car.

Once inside, Callie turned up the heater, removed her jacket and placed it around Arizona, who had a coughing fit.

"I never stopped loving you, too, Arizona," Callie said. "You are here now. I'm going to fix this. I'm going to fix us. You have to trust me."

"I would allow you to, if only it were that simple," Arizona replied. Another tear fell on her face.

"If only you would let me understand, let me know what I'm up against," Callie said. She touched Arizona's cheek, wiping away yet another tear. They were more lines on her face then there were three years ago. Beneath the make-up, Callie saw that her eyes, once bright blue, lost their life and turned sallow. The dimples no longer make an appearance, and the smile was wiped away. Callie saw that Arizona was weary, yet she would not let the brunette share her burden, and this frustrated her.

The radio inside the car cackled, and the voice of Richard Webber filled the space.

"Torres, do you copy?" the Chief said.

"We're still here, Richard. I'm still with the subject," Callie replied. Arizona chuckled at the word subject. The brunette was delighted to see her eyes light up a little.

"Where exactly are you, Torres? I am going to send a unit to escort you back to the building," Webber replied.

Callie gave the Chief their exact coordinates and the police unit came 15 minutes later. The two ladies boarded the police car while another cop drove Teddy's Camry.

"Now that you're willing to talk, I must say, you already know the Chief can get very intimidating. Don't let him scare you into crying again," Callie started, remembering the last time Richard Webber has interrogated Arizona. "But don't worry, this time, I'll be in the room with you."

Arizona merely nodded. It was 11:00 in the evening, and the traffic in the city has subsided. They reached the SPD building in ten minutes.

Callie opened the door of the car for Arizona. They went through the glass front doors of Seattle Police Department and through security. Both ladies checked their guns in. Callie was allowed to retain hers, but Arizona's Glock and revolver were surrendered.

"Nice guns," Callie complimented. "I'm surprised you kept them, though."

"They saved my life twice," Arizona replied. "Come to think of it, I feel uneasy now without them." The blonde hugged Callie's jacket tightly.

"You are safe here, Arizona," Callie replied. She meant to lead Arizona to the Chief's office, but the blonde still knew her way, having worked in the same place for 2 weeks before she disappeared. She opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator, and the brunette trailed behind.

Arizona walked down the second floor corridor swiftly in her heels as Callie tried to keep up. However, she stopped when she reached the Chief's door.

"You go first," Arizona whispered, motioning for Callie to open the door.

Richard Webber, Mark Sloan and Teddy Altman were discussing the hierarchy of the Miami crime ring when they saw the door fly open revealing Calliope Torres.

"What happened to you?" Callie asked, addressing Teddy whose left arm was in a blue cast.

"Got my arm pinned under a cabinet full of China," Teddy replied, leaning back on her seat.

"Shouldn't you still be at the hospital?" Callie replied.

"It was just a small fracture, nothing that a cast cannot fix. Addie talked my doctor into releasing me early," Teddy replied.

"So were is she, Torres?" Webber said, clearing his throat. Callie stepped aside to reveal Arizona Robbins in a red dress and her leather jacket. Teddy gasped. During the short time that she had known the blonde, they had quickly become friends. It was only now the she had a good look at Arizona, and Teddy noted that she has lost weight.

"Welcome back, blondie," Mark said, not meeting Arizona's eyes.

"Miss Robbins, will you please step inside my office," Webber said. Arizona did not move.

"Sloan, make her something to drink!" Webber barked and Mark stood up.

"What would you like, Miss Robbins?" the Chief asked.

"I'm here to talk with the only cop I could trust," Arizona said. "Alone."

"Well, okay, we'll give you and Torres a minute," the Chief said. Mark helped Teddy stand up and the three made for the door.

"No, stop." Arizona said, then without looking at Callie, she addressed the Chief. "You can take Calliope with you."

"I'm here to talk to Mark Sloan."


End file.
